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Arnold Schwarzenegger is not surprised by Donald Trump’s ascent to the U.S. presidency having experienced a spell in politics himself.

Like the president-elect, the Terminator star moved into politics after a career in showbiz as the governor of California. He was first elected as governor of California in the 2003 recall election and won re-election in 2006.

While Trump’s appointment to the Oval Office was considered surprising to many, Arnold was not among them.

“I’ve been governor twice in California, and now to go and go to this is terrific for me. And for him, it’s great to go from this to politics,” he told Entertainment Tonight. “The bottom line is, the country, America, where do you have the possibilities to do that many things? Only in America.”

The former bodybuilder and box office star will now sit at the helm of The New Celebrity Apprentice, taking over from Trump as he heads to the highest office in the country. And despite having been heavily involved in politics, he considers the television show a challenge.

“I’m 68 years old and this is a whole new challenge - something that I’ve never done before, so this is really wonderful,” he smiled. “And I think with the characters that they’ve picked there will be major drama.”

Arnold will more than be a match for the celebrities lined up for the new season which debuts next January who include, Laila Ali, Boy George, Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi, Kyle Richards, Porsha Williams, and Carnie Wilson.

And he may even bring his own catchphrase to the show, which famously sees a candidate exit to the phrase, “You’re fired”.

When asked what he will say when he has to cut contestants from competition, Arnold laughed: “There are so many ideas. From ‘Hasta la vista, baby’ to ‘You won’t be back’ or ‘Get to the chopper!’”